New mod adds always-on display to OnePlus phones, but you may not want to use it

If thereâ€™s one feature OnePlus users consistently ask for in Oxygen OS, itâ€™s an always-on display (AOD). Now, that dream has become real with the release of a new mod that enables the feature, but thereâ€™s one big downside. First posted by XDA Developers, the mod, which is called OPAodMod, requires a rooted OnePlus phone in order to work.

OnePlus recently announced that it intends to bring an always on display to some of its phones, but the company didnâ€™t provide an exact timeframe for the feature, only saying that it could come as soon as August 2020.

This isnâ€™t the first time this mod has come around, but it stopped receiving updates for a while. Now, a recognized XDA developer named Quinny899 has taken over development, and it appears the mod is working again.

Setting up the OnePlus always-on display

To get the mod up and running, first, users will need to root their OnePlus device. Users will need the Riru Core in Magisk. Once the device is rooted, the Xposed framework through EdXposed Canar is required. From there, users will need to download and install the module APK. Once thatâ€™s taken care of, OnePlus device owners must enable OPAodMod in EdXposed Canar (or TaiChi if they went that route).

Editor's Pick

Root Android: Everything you need to know!

One of the best things about Android is just how customizable and flexible it is. Android lets you use it the way you want to use it, whether that means changing the launcher, or setting â€¦

OPAodMod has its own setup process that users will need to go through, and once thatâ€™s done, users will be able to enable the always on display on their OnePlus phone.

Disclaimer: Be warned that rooting your Android phone can be a potentially risky process and could result in a bricked phone. Proceed at your own risk!

OPAodMod features

There are some rather useful features with the new-and-improved version of the AOD mod. First, the developers translated it from Chinese to English, making it much easier to use for more people.

It also features a customizable layout, which lets users have one two word clocks or a DVD screensaver. The mod also has the option to show the display only when a user raises their device. Thereâ€™s support for notifications, alarms, and just about anything else a user could want to see on their always-on display.

One additional feature thatâ€™s quite useful is burn-in protection that shifts the pixels on the display slightly.

Editor's Pick

OnePlus 8 Pro review: What the 7T Pro should have been (Update: On sale!)

Update: May 1, 2020: The OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are now on sale! That means you no longer need to pre-order the devices from OnePlus.com. You can also grab one from the companyâ€™s â€¦

OnePlus users, are you installing this mod? Or are you going to wait for OnePlus to release an official always-on display?